I have the opportunity to buy a 2014 Mercedes C250 with only 13,000 miles. It’s been my FIL’s car and I’m confident he’s maintained it perfectly. It’s a 4 door sedan and has a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. The price hasn’t been decided but I’m sure it will be reasonable.
I like the size and it’s comfortable, so I’m tempted to buy it. But I’ve never owned a Mercedes so I’m in uncharted territory.
Any opinions on this car?
I did practically the same thing many years ago. In 2004, I bought a colleague’s four-year-old Mercedes with ~34,000 miles. It lasted forever, although I didn’t really put that many miles on it. I finally got rid of it just last October, with around 143,000 miles. The engine was great, but the body had really gone to hell. I enjoyed driving it. It had great pick-up.
My only caveat is that paying for service at a Mercedes dealer is very expensive.
ETA: And, they take premium gasoline.
My H is a Mercedes fan and he has driven mostly used Mercedes since the 1990s; he persuaded me to give up my Honda. My first Mercedes was a 2001 E320 Station Wagon that I drove for 175K (bought it new). My second was a 2009 Mercedes SUV (ML 350) that I got in 2011. I gave it to my daughter this year (it has 193K miles)–she lives in Brooklyn and rarely drives. In January, I bought a used (2016) Mercedes GLE 350 with 32,000 miles.
We never go to the MB dealer (unless we need to replace something under warranty). We use an independent shop that only repairs Mercedes. Repairs aren’t cheap, but we always do the service recommended and change the oil regularly. I keep my car in the garage in the winter so I’ve had minimal issues with rust, etc. I feel like we’ve received good value from the Mercedes we have owned.
I purchased a 2013 C300 last year. I love driving it! I did have it checked by a dealer prior to purchasing, and I also checked out Consumer Reports to see if there were any issues with my year/make/model. Scheduled maintenance and repairs are expensive, so you might want to find a mechanic in your area that works on Mercedes. My dh (who’s pretty handy when it comes to cars but had never worked on a Mercedes) has been able to do the regular maintenance stuff himself.
I have a 2015 GLK 350 with 35000 miles on it that I bought new. I’ve had no expenses beyond oil change and routine service. I don’t go to the dealer but use an independent shop that just does Mercedes and BMW. I think this car will last me a very long time.
My previous car was a BMW X3 which I loved driving but had a lot of expensive repairs. I wouldn’t buy another BMW. Though driving wise I think the BMW was more fun to
drive.
OP again. Thanks for the responses so far, and please keep them coming.
I currently drive a 2006 BMW 330i and while it has relatively low miles (70,000), the prospect of a 13,000 mile car is very appealing. But, truthfully, the BMW is more fun to drive.
I called the German specialty mechanic who services my BMW and he told me the Mercedes will cost a little more to maintain than the BMW does.
Not sure what to do. Clearly a “first problem”.
@taverngirl m my son also owns a 2013 C300. He loves it and it’s a great car. He maintains it as he should at the dealer and it’s so expensive, premium gas. My husband owns a 2010 E350.
I think when they finally give them up, they won’t buy Mercedes. Not because they don’t love them, but because of the maintenance and gas.
I think that if have a mechanic that you trust that works on Mercedes, then I would feel confident in buying.
We drove German cars for a very long time when we lived in another city and were very pleased with the service and price.
Where I live now, I would not feel confident that we could find someone to service a luxury car.
We had an Infiniti G35 when we moved here (yes I’m aware that it’s not German) but there wasn’t anyone familiar with the car so we got rid of it.
Anyways, I think the most important thing is a trusted mechanic which it sounds like you have.
I have had several Mercedes over the years and loved, loved, loved them all. From the convertible to the sedan to the SUV. My last Mercedes SUV had almost 200,000 miles on it when my trusted mechanic said it was time to sell it. With two kids in college at full pay prices, I thought I might save some money on maintenance by getting a Lexus SUV instead. It is definitely less expensive to maintain so far, very reliable. But I just don’t love it. It doesn’t drive or ride nearly as nicely, it’s louder, it doesn’t tow as much and it just feels ticky tacky, like a cheap car that someone put leather and wood on. I miss the Mercedes.
Yes, first world problems. 
we have owned multiple Mercedes over the last 33 years[ we always buying them used and currently have 2] and would buy one with that few miles in a heart beat. They are terrific cars that will keep you safe. Yes, it is important to find a good mechanic, though my hubby now knows how to do most maintenance himself.
My first Mercedes was a 2005 C230 sport that I purchased in 2007. I loved, loved, loved that car. I was hit from behind at a high rate of speed and hit several cars in front of me. The car was totaled in 2017, I walked away without even a scratch and no muscle aches the next day either. I was so upset about loosing the car, but very happy that the engineering prevented injury. I replaced that car with a 2015 GLA 250.
Too late to edit post #5; I meant “first world problem”.
Based on the unanimous opinions of Mercedes owners here, this would a good car to buy, especially since I already have a good German car mechanic.
The only remaining question is whether I’m ready to move on from my BMW, which is really, really fun to drive.
FWIW my husband (long time BMW owner) loves driving my Mercedes, though that might be because mine is a 2013 and he’s currently driving a 2007. Have you test driven your FIL’s car?
Yes, I just drove it up the 101 from LA to San Jose. The turbo helps the 4 cylinder just fine. It’s plenty fast. And very refined. Just not as sporty as the BMW.
I’d like to convince DW to make one of them her full time car, but she won’t give up her Subaru.
I would suggest that you research in a Mercedes forum like mbworld.org if there are any major problems with this model year.
hmmmm… I think you will miss your beemer going from - 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder with 255 horsepower to the Merc; the c250 I believe has a 201 hp 4 cyl, even going forward 8 model years from 2006 to 2014. Best plan is to keep them both!
@NJres - We already have four vehicles and wanted to pare it down to three.
But you’re absolutely right; I would miss the BMW, and why give up a car I really like? So I think we should buy the Mercedes, keep the BMW, sell the Honda, and try to wean DW off the Subaru.
Subaru drivers can be especially hard to wean. Good Luck!
That 2006 330i (E90) is a honey of a car and the last really driver-focused 3-series model. That said, it is getting pretty long in the tooth and at 70k and 14 years old will have some big maintenance bills coming up.
Worth keeping if you love the car and it’s been trouble-free and spending a few days in the shop here and there isn’t a hardship. But swapping it out now might be a good long-term move.
Agree that the c-class just doesn’t drive the same as your E90, but if you don’t mind then it’s not a bad move to consider.
This has been very helpful. And I think @anomander just nailed it. The BMW is a honey of a car and while 70k miles is low, 14 model years isn’t. At my last oil change they recommended $2000 of repairs and maintenance, which I’ll take care of ASAP. And it’ll probably be $2000/year or thereabouts going forward.
Getting the Benz is a fantastic, slightly boring opportunity. I shouldn’t pass it up. But I can’t part with the BMW, at least not yet.
The good news is that we have a 3 car attached garage, plus another building with parking for plenty more.